Maria del Carmen Bousada Dies | Her Babies Deserved Better

The world’s oldest mother

(Photo: pregnancy-bliss.co.uk)

Once a woman approaches 40 years of age, conventional medical wisdom states that if she wants to conceive children, the risk of said children having birth defects increases dramatically. Thus, conventional family planning strategy would dictate getting an earlier start on giving birth. Cash advance and cheap loans can help with only a tiny portion of the hospital bills an extended stay in ICU for malformed infants can rack up.

It’s a potential tragedy most would avoid

But Maria del Carmen Bousada was not like most women. At 66 years and change, the Spaniard became the oldest verified mother in documented history. I say documented history because Omkari Panwar of India claimed to be 70 years old when she had twin boys and a girl just this month; she had no birth certificate to verify her claim.

She vowed that she would see her two infant sons live into adulthood, yet she already knew that she had a tumor that could be like threatening, according to the Spanish newspaper Diario de Cadiz.

Her twin sons are orphaned

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Cancer has taken the life of Maria del Carmen Bousada at 69 years of age. According to the London Times, she died in a hospital near Cadiz. Think of it; her children are so young that they are unlikely to have many lasting memories of their birth mother. Bousada’s family, who will now take care of the twins, will have to provide the children with a strong emotional base if they are to avoid any future identity crisis.

And she had the kids in vitro!

Let me remind you, this is after she discovered she had a tumor. Bousada went to the U.S. and paid over $49,000 in order to have the children. She even had to lie to the doctors in order to avoid their age limit policy. She claimed she was only 55.

I will not pretend to know exactly what was running through Maria del Carmen Bousada’s mind when she decided to have children. Was there a feeling of emptiness, fear that life would soon be over and she wanted to check this off her bucket list? Or was her motivation less selfish and more loving? Considering her health condition, hindsight is an absolutely clear 20/20: her decision was ill-conceived.

Spanish media and Bousada’s family agree with me

“My mother would turn in her grave if she knew what my sister has done,” said Manuel Bousada de Lara, 73. He is Maria’s brother. “Mother would ask: ‘How are you going to bring up two boys at your age?”

The family was definitely taken by surprise with this Cesarean birth. Maria had told them she went to California, but not because she was going to undergo in vitro fertilization therapy. Which generation will raise the babies? Not Maria del Carmen Bousada’s brother Manuel, who is four years older. Thankfully there are cousins that range in age from their 30s to 40s.

But she already knew!

Maria del Carmen Bousada told News of the World of her desire, but only after a period in which she refused to speak with the media: “I have always wanted to be a mother all my life, but I have never had the opportunity or met the right man. My mother lived to 101 years-old and I have every reason to believe longevity runs in my family.”

Unfortunately, Maria herself suspected that the drugs she used during her fertility treatments caused her cancer to spread.

Yet she claims she has “no regrets”

Here's the world's oldest father: Nanu Ram Jogi, 90. He is NOT involved with Maria Carmen del Bousada in any way. (Photo: dailymail.co.uk)

No regrets? NO REGRETS! Reproductive rights are one thing, but what was this woman’s main problem? The welfare of these two children supersedes any respect Maria del Carmen Bousada may deserve upon her death. She comes across as a selfish, brainless fool.

Here are some reactions from readers in the Spanish press. In El Mundo:

This woman for her own ego and lack of common sense did not think that these two children would have to defend themselves very soon. I hope they do not suffer the consequences of such an irresponsible decision.

And another:

Most women live to 80. It wasn’t likely she was going to live to see her sons over the age of about 13. It is barbarous what she has done.

The children of Maria del Carmen Bousada deserved a mature mother, not an impulsive 66-year-old adolescent. The children deserved better. Here’s hoping the family will provide them with a happy, healthy life. And who knows: a cash advance here, some cheap loans there, and emergency child expenses can be taken care of if there’s a budget emergency.